Goal 3: Foster Cohesion and Inclusion

Embody Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Strategy 3.1 A Diverse Workforce: We will build on our efforts to ensure the Air District’s workforce is diverse and reflective of the communities we serve to instill community trust and develop better solutions to air quality problems.

Having a diverse workforce means that the organization reflects the people and communities it serves. Successful organizations need people with different backgrounds, cultures, and viewpoints, who may speak different languages or have different life experiences. They also need people from different races, ethnicities, genders, gender identities, sexual orientations, sexual identities, ages, countries, ability statuses, or cultural, political, religious, and other affiliations.

The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the most diverse places in the world. It is important that the Air District prioritizes being just as diverse. Over the years, we have improved our diversity at the Air District to more fully reflect our region, including the communities who have been long harmed by air pollution. As we implement the 2024- 2029 Strategic Plan, it will be important that the organization continue to recruit, develop, and welcome people who have first-hand experience of the impacts of air pollution in overburdened communities, who know the challenges and are invested in solutions.

Under this strategy, for all levels of the organization we will establish recruitment, retention, and advancement policies and practices that promote diversity and inclusion. We will review and revise our hiring practices to ensure they are inclusive and to remove any structural biases.

We will implement targeted recruitment strategies, to attract candidates from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. We will also consider expanding our internship program to attract more young people from diverse backgrounds to the air quality field.

To improve retention, we will create development programs tailored to the needs of employees from diverse backgrounds. We will support the establishment and growth of employee resource groups who represent different demographics within the organization. Such groups provide a platform for networking, support, and advocacy, and contribute to a sense of belonging and community among employees. Finally, we will regularly assess our recruitment, retention, and promotion rates for under-represented employees, especially in leadership positions, as well as gather employee feedback and adjust our efforts as needed.

Strategy 3.2 Be Welcoming and Inclusive: We will make sure everyone in the organization understands and respects the value of a diverse workforce, one that welcomes and includes everyone to increase organizational cohesion.

While Strategy 3.1 A Diverse Workforce is about having a workforce that better reflects the communities we serve, this strategy is about how our workforce works together inclusively, respecting and valuing diverse backgrounds and ideas. People of different races, economic and cultural backgrounds, sexual orientation, gender identity, of different ages, or with different physical and mental abilities, should all be welcomed and treated fairly. Equity is about the creation of equal access to opportunities that closes any demographic disparities within all areas of the organization and society at large. Inclusion is about all employees feeling valued, respected, and supported in achieving their full potential. Inclusion is reflected within the organization’s culture, practices, and relationships that support diverse communities.

The purpose of the Air District’s Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, created in 2017, is to ensure that the Air District has an equitable, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all employees. The office supports recruitment and retention efforts, the development of communication strategies, and engaging with community. The office builds cultural awareness at the Air District, supports professional development, and holds employee engagement events to help everyone feel included in the organization.

Under this strategy, we will redouble our efforts to consider diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work, including internal and external decision-making, policies, procedures, regulations, funding initiatives, public outreach, planning, and in our hiring practices. We will also conduct annual diversity and unconscious bias training for people at all levels of the organization, with a focus on those making hiring and promotional decisions.

Become One Air District

Strategy 3.3 One Air District Community: We will broaden internal knowledge of Air District activities and create opportunities for relationship building to increase understanding of how different roles and perspectives come together in support of the organization’s mission and vision.

Internal cohesion and collaboration are critical to any organization’s success. Cohesion in an organization means all employees work well together, united in purpose toward a shared vision and aligned with the organization’s values. When people work cohesively, they focus more on organizational goals, rather than only on their own success or the success of their department or division.

Broad knowledge of how an organization operates and how various expertise comes together to meet an organization’s mission and goals is key to organizational cohesion and success. Building relationships across departments or divisions helps to break down organizational siloes and can create a sense of ty, or One Air District, working toward a common purpose.

The Air District has a history of being a “siloed” organization. Divisions often act independently, working toward their own agendas or priorities, sometimes in conflict with the priorities of another division, or overall agency priorities. Information sharing and collaboration are often limited. Many employees also have limited knowledge about what is happening outside of their own division. Additionally, they lack a foundational knowledge of the Air District, how the organization functions, and the roles and responsibilities of each division.

Employees have also expressed feeling isolated, with limited understanding or connections to efforts outside of their own, furthering a siloed culture. Being siloed not only impacts agency culture and effectiveness, but also our ability to serve the ty, as described in Strategy 4.7 Customer Service.

Under this strategy we will break down siloes to become One Air District. We will build all employees’ knowledge of the Air District, across the organization. We will enhance opportunities for knowledge sharing through more engagement events and opportunities for people to share information and collaborate. We will create opportunities for relationship building across divisions to create a One Air District culture, where people feel connected to each other and to the overall mission of the organization. We will develop “job shadowing” opportunities where employees can experience the work of their peers, to broaden their understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and connections to their own work. We will also develop an internal communications program, building a One Air District story that helps everyone see the connections of their individual efforts to the entire organization.

Strategy 3.4 Environmental Justice Expertise: We will increase the capacity and effectiveness of employees, Board members, and advisory bodies to advance and better integrate environmental justice into all aspects of our work.

As described in Chapter 2, the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency describes environmental justice as the “just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability, in agency decision-making and other activities that affect human health and the environment so that people are fully protected from disproportionate and adverse human health and environmental effects (including risks) and hazards…”. Without consideration of environmental justice, communities and individuals may be harmed by decisions made by governments and private entities. Environmental justice gives people more control over the decisions that impact their lives and quality of life.

Over recent years, our awareness of and acknowledgment of environmental justice has grown. However, we still have much to do. Environmental justice expertise in the agency is concentrated in a few departments or individuals. Knowledge and expertise are not diffused throughout the organization in a way that best serves communities who are overburdened by air and other pollution.

Under this strategy, we will build our knowledge, expertise, and capacity across the organization to work with communities. We will train Board and Advisory Committee members, and employees at all levels of the organization on environmental justice principles and issues. Training programs will ensure we are One Air District, as described in Strategy 3.3 One Air District Community, working together to advance our understanding and competency of environmental justice. This includes the historical context of environmental justice, discriminatory and racist government policies, and how to work in and partner with communities sensitively, respectfully, and effectively.

To ensure training programs are effective, we will add advancing environmental justice and equity as a core competency in all employees’ performance plans and reviews. We will also recruit candidates with environmental justice expertise, who have experience living in or working with communities harmed by air pollution. We will develop environmental justice teams, who will work across the organization to integrate environmental justice in our work, ensuring deeper connections with communities we serve. Environmental justice teams would review compliance with civil rights laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and California Government Code section 11135.

Strategy 3.5 Recognize Employees: We will better recognize employees’ contributions to increase morale and overall organizational effectiveness.

Ensuring employees’ skills, talents and contributions are valued and properly recognized is critical to a positive work environment, employee morale, and employee retention. Employee retention is critical to organizational success. Productivity, recruitment and training costs, organizational culture, organizational knowledge and expertise, and customer service can all suffer with high employee turnover rates.

In government agencies, where merit increases or other performance-based benefits are often limited or unavailable, recognizing employees’ accomplishments can be challenging. The Air District has a highly dedicated workforce, yet limited recognition programs and activities have left some employees feeling discouraged, and high achieving employees often feel overworked and overlooked.

To better show appreciation for our employees’ contributions, under this strategy the Air District will develop and implement an incentive program which could include awards or bonuses based on achievement. We will better recognize employees who lead by example and exemplify the core values of the organization. We will also recognize employees through performance evaluations that reward and encourage employees to engage in cross-functional learning, collaboration, innovation, and skill development opportunities.

Strategy 3.6 Support Employee Success: We will expand professional development opportunities to foster success and diversity, boost morale, enhance workforce retention, and improve overall organizational effectiveness.

Providing employees opportunities to learn and develop skills boosts organization morale and supports workforce retention. Workforce retention also helps develop a positive organizational culture and institutional knowledge and skills critical in achieving long-term goals.

Under this strategy, we will help employees build a career path and gain institutional knowledge. We will do this through an expanded mentoring program to encourage employees to join and develop skills as mentors and mentees. In addition, for new employees, the Air District will develop more detailed and comprehensive on-boarding to help them know the organization and feel able to publicly represent the Air District. We will also develop comprehensive training and cross-training on Air District programs for employees. In addition, we will consider more comprehensive performance reviews that encourage employees to explore opportunities to develop skills, as described in Strategy 3.5 Recognize Employees.